Assembling apparatus



Oct. 3, 1944. \-\H, w NORMAN ET AL 2,359,575

' ASSEMBLING APPARATUS Filed Dec'. 22, 1942 Patented Oct. 3, 1944 ASSEMBLING APPARATUS Hollis W. Norman and Bruno A. Raetsch, Baltimore, Md., assignors to' Western Electric Company, Incorporated, New York, N. Y., a corporation of New York Application December 22, 1942, Serial No. 469,810

8 Claims.

This invention relates to assembling apparatus and more particularly to an apparatus for assembling a predetermined number of washers on apost.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a'simple apparatus for rapidly assembling parts.

In accordance with one embodiment of the invention, the post of an article on which three washers are to be assembled is positioned directly beneath a rod on which are assembled a large number of washersand an actuating lever is then manipulated to first move the rod into engagement with the post and to then segregate three washers from the washers upon the rod. Continued movement of the actuating lever will impart reciprocation to an abutment member to permit the three washers which have been segregated to drop onto the post. As the actuating lever is released, the washers remaining on the rod will drop down onto the abutment member ready for a second assembling cycle.

A better understanding of the invention may be had by reference to the following detailed description when considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawing, wherein Fig. 1 is a front elevational View of an apparatus embodying the present invention, part of the View being broken away to conserve space;

Fig. 2 is a side elevational view, partly in section, of the apparatus shown in Fig, 1 showing the apparatus in its inoperative position;

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary side elevational view similar to the lower portion of Fig. 2'=but showing the apparatus in its operated position;

Fig. 4 is an irregular horizontal sectional View taken on the line 4 4 of Fig. 2 in the direction of the arrows; and

Fig. 5 is a plan section taken on the line 5 5 of Fig. 2 in the direction of the arrows.

In the drawing, the apparatus is shown mounted on a base ID, on which an article II, to have washers assembled upon it, may be placed. The article II may be provided with a post I2, upon which washers are to be placed, to drop them onto a headed portion I3 of the article. Preferably, the article is formed with a cone-shaped depression I4, into which the conical tip I5 of a rod I6 may be nested. In order to properly position the post I2 in alignment with the rod I6, a V block I1 is provided, into which the post I2 may be nested. The V block may be at the end of a bracket I8, suitably secured to a main support member I9.

Mounted upon the main support member I9 adjacent its upper end is a tiltable bracket or arm 26, which is pivotally mounted upon the main support member I9 by means of a pivot pin 2|. The pivot pin 2I is fixed in the main support member I9 and normally suppor-ts the arm 20 in the position shown in Figs. 1 and 2. The left end (Fig. 2), of the arm 20 has a slot 22 cut into it, through which the rod I6 may be freely passed and, in addition, a circular pocket 23 is provided adjacent the left end (Fig. 2) of the arm 20 for receiving a head portion 24 of the rod I6 whereby the rod I6 may loe slipped through the slot 22 and the head 24 thereof nested in the pocket 23 to hold the upright end of the rod againstvlateral movement with respect to the arm 20. A bracket 25 having a rounded tip 26 engaging the head 24 is normally urged to rock about a pivot 21 on the arm 26 by a contractile spring 28, thereby normally tending to hold any rod I-6 which has been placed on the arm 2 IJ in position on the arm.

Intermediate its ends, the bracket or arm 20 is provided with an aperture 35 for loosely receiving a link 36. The link 36 is provided with a cap or head 31 and a shoulder 38. Interposed between the head 31 of the link 36 and the upper surface of the arm 20 is a compression spring 39,

which normally urges the link 36 to assume the f position shown in Figs. 1 and 2, where the shoulder 38 is held against its underside. At its lower end, the link 36 is pivotally connected to a lever 40 mounted upon a shaft 4I, which is freely rotatable in the main support member I9 and which is keyed to the lever 46 and actuating lever 42 and a restoring lever 43. The restoring lever 43 is normally urged to rock counter-clockwise (Fig. 2) by a contractile spring 44 attached to it and to a pin 45 xed in the main support member I9, an abutment member 46 being provided for limiting the amount of movement of the lever 43 under the influence of the spring 44. In this manner, the arm 20 is normally held in the position shown through the action of the collar 38 on link 36, the link 36 being urged to assume the position shown in Figs. 1 and 2 by the spring 44 and being prevented from moving beyond that position by the abutment member 46.

Intermediate the actuating lever 42 and the lever 40, there is fixed to the shank portion 41 of the actuating lever 42 a cam member 48, which when the lever 42 is rocked in a counter-clockwise direction a predetermined amount, Will engage a lever 49 and rock it clockwise (Fig. 2) about a pivot pin 5U. The pivot pin 50 is mounted upon a projection 5I formed integrally with the main support member I9. The lower end of pinion and the racks 69 and 12.

the lever 49 extends into a slot 53 in an irregu-I larly shaped slide 54, which is provided with a pair of operating projections 55 and 56. The

operating projection 55 has a sloping cam facel V`position shown in Fig. 2, to a position intermedi- Washers `6I on the rod I6 will be between the pro- Y jections 55 and 56 and those washers above the bottom three ones will be held upon the upper surface of the projection 55. A notch 62, as seen most clearly in Fig. 4, is formed in the edge of the sloping cam face 6U to engage the rod I6 and thereby permit the movement of the slide 54 to the left a suiiicient distance so that the washers 6I will be held upon the upper surface 0f the projection 55. i

The projection 56, on which the washers 6I normallyrrest, as seen in Fig. 2,V has a notch 63 formedfinsit intowhich the rod I6 normally extends and the surface of the notch 63 cooperate'swith Va slidable plate 61 having a notch 68 formed in it engaging the opposite side of the rod I6 to properly center the rod I6 in its movement to engage the post I2. The notch 63 communicates with an aperture 64 which is suiciently large to permit washers 6I to drop through it when the slide 54 is shifted to the position shown inV Fig. 3.

, The slidable plate 61 has mounted on its upper surfacefa rack 69, which is in mesh with a pinion 10 freely rotatable on ast-ud shaft 1I and also meshing with a rack 12 secured to an undersurface of the slide 54. The stud shaft 1I is journalled in a side wall of a housing 13. The slide 54 is cut o ut, as shown at 14, to permit the mounting in the cut-out portion thereof of the The slide 54 is normally urged to the position shown in Fig. 2 by the lever 49, which has a contractile spring 15V attached to it and tothe main support member I 9.

InY the operation of the apparatus, a plurality of washers Y6I ,maybe placed upon a rod I6 and the rod then dropped into position where its surfaces adjacent its lower end are positioned by the notches 63 and 68 and where it is held supported by the bracket or arm 20, in the circular pocket 23 of which its head portion 24 will be nested. VNotches 63 and 68 are in proper alignment to receive the rod IS when lever 43 is against the -stop,46 because this allows lever 49 to pull slide 54 to the right in Fig. 3 until it contacts the right wall of housing 13. Slide 61 is likewise forced to the left. The lengths of slides 54 and 51V and the locations of notches 53 and 68 are designed tomeet Vthis condition. YThe rod I6 will be held in this position by the rounded tip 26 of the bracket 25 and will have its lower end guided Y by the slides 54 and 61 in position in direct align-H ment with the postnIZ engaging the V block I1.

After a rod I6 hasV thus been placed in positionY the leverl 'about `the axis of the shaft 4I. As

the lever 40 rocks vcounter-clockwise, from the 4 This is caused by the. rocking of y ate to that shown in Fig. 2 and that shown in Fig. 3, the link 36 will move the arm or bracket counter-clockwise to carry the rod I6 into engagement with the post I2. Continued movement of the lever 42 counter-clockwise will cause the spring 39 to be compressed since the springV 28 will hold the arm 20 in the same relative position with respect to the bracket 25, as shown in Fig. 2. The link 36 will thus continue to move downwardly, but the arm 20 will not follow it and the cam member 48 will engage the lever 49 to rock it clockwise about the pivot pin 50, thus .to move the slide 54 to the left. As the slide 54 moves to the left, the slidable plate 61, through the interaction of the racks 69 and 12 and the pinion 1I), will move to the right. This action will continue until the slide 54 and slidable plate 61 reach the position shown in Fig. 3, where the three washers 6I which were between the projections and 56, as shown in Fig, 2, will have dropped through the aperture 64 onto the post I2. The remainder of the washers 6I willl be held in their upper position, as shown in Fig. 3, by the sloping cam surface 60. As soon as the operator manipulating the apparatus releases the lever 42, the spring 44 will pull the lever 43 back to normal position, as shown in Fig. 2, thus restoring all of the apparatus to normal position andpermitting the washers 6I remain ing on the rod I6 to drop down to a position where the bottom washer of the group rests on the upper surface of the projection 56 and the apparatus will be in condition for another cycle `of operation.

While the apparatus has been described as one which dispenses three washers at a time, it will be understood that by properly spacing the operating projections 55 and 56 with respect to each other, any desired number of Washers may be lopped onto a post in alignment with the rod What is claimed is:

l. An assembling apparatus washer guiding rod, means for moving'said rod to engage a post on which Ywashers are to be deposited, cooperating guides for guiding the rod during its movement, and an actuator for the rod and guides operable after movement of the rod stops to move said guides out of the path of said articles.

2. An assembling apparatus comprising a washer guiding rod, means for moving said rod to engage a post on which washers are to bedeposited, cooperating guides for guiding the rod duringits movement, and a common actuator for ,the rod and guides operable after -movement of the rod stops to move said guides in opposite directions, one of said guides having means thereon operable in normal position to hold washers in a predetermined position and when the guides are moved operable to release the Washers.

3. An Vassembling apparatus comprising a washer guiding rod, means for moving said rod 1 to engage a post on which washers are to be deposited, cooperating guides for guiding the rod during its movement, and a common actuator for the rod and guides operable after movement of the rod stops to move said guides vin opposite directions, one of said guides having spaced portions operable alternately for engaging and holdingl washers in predetermined positions on said ro 4. An assembling apparatus comprising a washer guiding rod. means for moving said rod comprising aY to engage a post on which washers are to be deposited, cooperating guides for guiding the rod during its movement, and a common actuator for the rod and guides operable after movement of the rod stops to move said guides in opposite directions, one of said guides having spaced portions alternately engaging a washer on the rod for holding it and succeeding washers on the rod in predetermined positions.

5. An assembling apparatus comprising a Washer guiding rod having a head portion, a resiliently supported pivotal bracket for receiving said head of the rod, means for rocking said bracket to urge said rod downwardly, means for positioning a post in alignment with said rod to be engaged by said rod, a slidable member having spaced lower and upper portions for alternately engaging washers on the rod, and cam means operable by the bracket rocking means after the rod engages the post for operating said slidable member to cause its upper portion to engage an upper one of the washers on said rod and to cause the lower portion to subsequently disengage from a lower washer to deposit washers on said post.

6. A washer dispensing apparatus comprising a rod for receiving a supply of washers, resilient means for supporting the rod in a normal position, means for moving said rod to engage an article on which washers are to be placed, a slidable plate for normally holding washers in a predetermined position as the rod is moved relative thereto and slidable out of holding relation to said washers, a lost motion connection between the means for moving the rod and said plate for sliding the plate after the rod stops moving, and

means connected to said plate for holding washers on the rod when the slidable plate is slid out of holding relation to said washers.

7. A washer dispensing apparatus comprising a movable rod for guiding washers in a, predetermined path, a slidable plate normally positioned for holding the washers in a predetermined position as the rod is moved, means spaced from said plate and movable therewith for separating a predetermined number of washers from the remainder thereof on fthe rod as the slidable plate moves out of position to hold the Washers in said predetermined position, and a common actuating means for said slidable plate and rod.

8. An assembling apparatus comprising a Washer guiding rod having a head portion, a resiliently supported pivotal bracket for receiving said head of the rod, means for rocking said bracket to urge said rod downwardly, means for positioning a post in alignment with said rod to be engaged by said rod, a slidable member having spaced lower and upper portions for alternately engaging washers on the rod, and cam means operable by the bracket rocking means after the rod engages the post for operating said slidable member to cause its upper portion to engage an upper one of the washers on said rod and to cause the lower portion to subsequently disengage from a lower washer to deposit washers on said post, said portions of the slidable member being spaced apart a distance equal to the thickness of the number of washers to be deposited on the post.

f HOLLIS W. NORMAN. BRUNO A. RAETSCH. 

